Sweet Nostalgia of the 80s

Chapter 1774: Chapter 1773: An Uncertain Future

”You’re awake?” Lin Qiushu saw that Yan Ye had finally woken up, and her heart that had been clenched for days finally eased. ”For the past few days, you’ve been repeatedly running a fever. Each time, the fever shot past thirty degrees, leaving you dazed—it was truly frightening to see.”

”The fever’s gone now. I feel much better,” Yan Ye said weakly.

”What happened? Your hand was injured—why has the fever been so persistent? Was the wound infected?” Qin Jian put down his things and approached the bedside to check on Yan Ye.

”Hmm. The inflammation’s mostly under control now! You guys don’t need to worry about me!” Yan Ye said, casting a guilty look at An Hao. ”I made you suffer. I, a grown man, ended up leaving first—abandoning you to face being a hostage alone. Honestly, I feel awful about it.”

After he finished speaking, he lowered his gaze, his long eyelashes casting a shadow beneath his eyelids.

”Mr. Yan.” An Hao handed the carnations over to Lin Qiushu, pulled up a chair, and lightly grasped Yan Ye’s injured hand. ”At the time, your leaving was dictated by the circumstances, which is why I wanted you to leave first. For one thing, if the injury to your hand dragged on any longer, it would surely be useless—and if your hand can no longer hold a scalpel, then wouldn’t the burden of cardiovascular surgeries fall completely onto me in the future? Secondly, there was truly no reason for you to stay behind. Those drug traffickers aren’t idiots—they wouldn’t risk keeping you two there. And thirdly, most importantly, I urgently needed you and Dr. Lu to find Qin Jian and bring him back to rescue me... So I had no choice but to let you leave. Actually, I was selfish—I was thinking only of myself.”

Rarely had Yan Ye ever felt moved, yet An Hao’s words stirred him deeply.

Clearly, she’d helped him in a moment of crisis, yet she framed it as if it had all been for her own benefit.

”Thank you, An Hao!” At this moment, countless things stuck in his throat, unspoken. All those emotions condensed into one heartfelt phrase of gratitude.

”No need for thanks, Mr. Yan. We’re family—no need to talk as if we weren’t,” An Hao replied with a smile.

”You shouldn’t call her An Hao anymore. You’ll need to call her sister-in-law,” Qin Jian interjected, noticing Yan Ye’s still downcast mood and seizing the chance to shift the topic.

”This...” Yan Ye couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on. ”No, no, I still feel quite unwell. I need to rest!”

”Quit pretending. I can see you’re feeling bad on the inside, aren’t you? Fine, don’t call her that right now; I’ll wait for you to come around. On your wedding day, I’ll make sure I hear it directly from you,” Qin Jian said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

”I really do feel awful. Qiushu, how about you help me send off the guests?” Yan Ye turned over, showing Qin Jian his back.

”Stop it! Quit acting like a child.” An Hao still had something weighing on her heart, something she’d been holding back and hadn’t asked yet. She knew what a right hand meant to a surgeon, but without asking, she couldn’t find peace of mind.

Yan Ye saw that An Hao seemed hesitant but eager to say something and instantly understood what she wanted to ask.

Forcing a smile, he moved his injured wrist with some difficulty and said, ”This hand is still in the recovery phase. Whether I can hold a scalpel again depends on how it heals later. Although, the outlook might not be very optimistic.”

”Did the nerves get damaged?” An Hao’s chest suddenly tightened, her heart pounding anxiously—this was the outcome she least wanted to face.

”There’s some degree of damage. It’s not too severe!”

”Then, Mr. Yan... in the future...” An Hao’s eyes shimmered faintly with moisture.

”It’s not a big deal! Every generation produces new talent. Moving forward, my focus might shift to mentoring you. You’d better be ready to take on that responsibility!” Yan Ye said with a smile.